Pro Ref admits mistake in awarding Haaland's derby winner
Pro Ref has confirmed that VAR Matt Donohue made a mistake in allowing Erling Haaland's goal in Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Manchester United to stand, despite Enzo Fernández being in an offside position. The admission comes from Pro Ref, as reported by The Guardian Football.
Competition · 2026-09-14 21:24:43
This article was assembled with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
This story discusses unconfirmed interpretations. Speculation is identified clearly and should not be read as established fact.
The goal should not have been awarded, according to Pro Ref, as Fernández had challenged for the crossed ball with a diving header, affecting the ability of Lisandro Martínez to defend the cross. The VAR needs to look at this aspect and make a two-part assessment, which in this case was not done correctly.
Donohue is a highly skilled VAR, but referees are human and mistakes can happen. He will learn from it, but the performance of referees has started well this season, with some good examples of officials dealing with holding offences and managing goal-kicks and throw-ins.
